No really, I am…..

Libertine, North Melbourne

Excuse me while I tidy up around here….ooh, look at that! A Melbourne post!

One of the dates I was most looking forward to on my recent jaunt down south, was my dinner catch up with the delightful @InjeraRufus and Co. We had met when @InjeraRufus had come to visit Sydney where we bonded over Plan B Wagyu burgers.

There were so many restaurants I wanted to visit while in Melbourne but couldn’t make them all in the limited time we had. On the list and universally suggested was French Dining Room, Libertine in North Melbourne.

This gorgeous, very old school bolthole, was beautifully warm and cosy on this slightly chilly evening…

As we settle in, we’re served a trio of amuses bouche: Olives and Caperberries, Terrine du Jour and Ocean Trout Gravlax

The menu is simple and direct, with some amazing sounding ingredients…The baked langoustines immediately caught my eye; served with sugar snaps and sweet corn basil soup..

This dish was creamy, sweet and warm, contrasting stunningly with the freshness of the peas…I practically licked the plate clean..

And here’s where I lose the plot: Can’t remember what this was as we mostly dined off the specials menu..I can tell you it has scallops in it!

Darling Boyfriend, who only eats beef went for the classic of steak, in this permutation, grass fed scotch fillet with Grand-Mere Garni & Sauce Bordelaise. After the bacon was picked off, he ate it with gusto. Please excuse the blurriness of this picture.

Another mystery dish; meat, of some kind…I’m sorry I didn’t blog this earlier. Hoping the good folk of Libertine might remember what was on the menu? I think it was the Fawn special.

I had partridge with game pie…

I was expecting the partridge to be a lot gamier than it was, but it was delicate and succulent. The game pie? Wow, the shortest pastry and the richest filing combined to leave me gobsmacked. Literally. So beautifully executed. So rich and so moreish. Perfect Autumn/Winter comfort food.

After an appropriate amount of time has passed we order dessert: chocolate pavé for the boy and for me, Calvados Crème and Earl Grey sorbet for me! You also have to check out the “liquid dessert” section of the menu 😉

After the richness of my meal this dessert was surprisingly light, with the Earl Grey sorbet providing a cleansing hit to the palate after the insanely buttery pastry. The calvados crème reminded me of Mark Best’s Sauternes custard…so silky, creamy and light. I could’ve eaten this forever. If I hadn’t been so full!

I need to thank our dinner companions, the gorgeous and delightful @InjeraRufus and husband who made our dinner date so fantastic and suggesting Libertine amongst the maze of Melbourne restaurants to choose from.

Loved my lunch there a week or so after you. Had that scallop dish with the amazing orange goo, followed by the partridge. I agree with you in that it was surprisingly un-gamey, but the pie more than made up for any disappointment there. Don’t know if it is common practice but we BYO’d wine and drank some stunners – Bollinger and Dujac went beautifully with the food. Think I had some Madeira to finish…and a little snooze in the car!

I once gave a Best Man’s speech in the upstairs restaurant for my mate Tom’s wedding reception. 18 minutes long according to the people running a book on it…

Well what do you know. I just saw the scallop dish on another blog (eatdrinkstagger.com). They are Hervey Bay Scallops with a forest mushroom ragout apparently!
.-= Joanne @ secondhelping´s last blog ..Cookbook Challenge Week 23 ~ Leaf =-.

Ooh. I was recommended Libertine the last time I was in Melbourne, but unfortunately never made it there. So good to see this post and your take on the food. Wanting desperately to try their pastry! Looks like I’ll have to keep it high on the places to check out on my next Melbourne trip.
.-= Forager´s last blog ..Touring the Salt Flats in Uyuni, Bolivia =-.